


Watch me Bleed

by m e l á n o m a (missRISETTExx)



Category: DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Character Death, Just cry with me YJ fans, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 13:39:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missRISETTExx/pseuds/m%20e%20l%20%C3%A1%20n%20o%20m%20a
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And I guess it shouldn’t hurt as much as it does, because I come from the future. What if it was my fault that you were moded in the first place? But I didn’t think about that and I just came here without even questioning. Jaime, I am so sorry. I’m sorry for making you into this monster. Maybe it’s not entirely my fault and maybe things would have happened like this even if I hadn’t come, but I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you—”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch me Bleed

**Author's Note:**

> Young Justice is giving me way too many feelings right now, so I needed to put them into story form.
> 
> ARE YOU ALL AT LEAST WEEPING WITH ME?!

“Give him back! Give Jaime back to us right now you stupid, over-sized beetle!”

 

Normally he wasn’t the type to beg. It was never a useful action, if the Reach had taught him anything as a child. Human emotions held little value when you were dealing with Beetles; they didn’t care and they never would. Even if there was some semblance of his friend still left within, Jaime’s new mind wouldn’t care for his words. The merging of his mind and Khaji-Da’s had left him void of the kindness that had once drawn Bart to him. Jaime had been the first to show him what friendship could be like, but the man that stood before him, with only his face uncovered from the blue armor? It was almost like an entirely different person.

 

Even so, he had to at least try and reach the boy he’d grown so close to. Even if it all blew up in his face, or even if he only broke through for a moment, Bart knew it would be worth it. After all, he’d already failed in his mission. The Reach was winning. All around the pair lay the bodies of Bart’s fallen comrades. They’d been taken out effortlessly by the trio of Beetles; Green had taken down M’gann, La’gaan, Artemis, and Beast Boy while Black dealt with Superboy, Tim, and Dick. That left Bart, Bat Girl, and Cassie to deal with locating Blue and stopping him from continuing to force humans into slavery.

 

Cassie and Bat Girl had sent him to continue the search while they dealt with the hoard of Reach flunkies coming their way. There were simply too many of them and Bart knew that in leaving them to fight, he was leaving them to their death, but what choice did he have? Finding Blue was his first priority, as it had been since he’d come to the past. Having friends and leaving them to die… he didn’t have a choice anymore.

 

But when he’d finally found Jaime, he knew it was too late. He’d been pulling his bladed arm out of the chest of a civilian, his eyes glowing yellow as he dropped the ‘meat’ to the ground. Then he turned, his eyes locking on Bart’s before taking a confident step forward. The blade on his arm retracted, but it didn’t make the speedster feel even the least bit safe. There were many weapons in the beetle’s arsenal, after all. In just a moment he could have a plasma blaster out and readied. In the next he could pull the trigger and that would be the end of it. Bart was tired of running. It wasn’t going to save him anymore. Instead all he wanted to do was try and find Jaime somewhere inside the Blue Beetle, and not just this combine Khaji-Da and Jaime creation.

 

“Before you go off destroying everything you _used_ to love, _her-man-o_ , let’s chat.”

 

“I don’t see the point in that, Impulse.” The Blue Beetle said, his face betraying no emotion. “Your friends are all gone, the humans have been given their collars, and the Reach invasion has proven successful. What could you possibly have to say to me before I end your life along with the others?”

 

“Maybe I just want to talk to my best friend for a moment. Aren’t you retro villains all about final requests or something?” Though the speedster’s lip quirked up in a smile, as if telling some kind of joke, his heart was racing. This wasn’t going as he’d hoped. What could he have expected, though?

 

“Your jokes do not amuse me anymore. The Reach was correct—meat like you have no redeemable qualities. Even your humor does not appeal to us.” Then the blade began to return, slowly, as if Jaime were still giving Bart only a moment to redeem the conversation. There was no reason to rush this, after all; they both knew it’s ending would leave the Speedster taking his last breath. “Is there anything you have left to say, or can we finish this?”

 

“I just…” Bart paused only a moment before the flood of emotions came out as verbal pleas, “Jaime, why did you leave us?! I know the Green Beetle changed something in you, but why did you have to leave us all behind? We were all friends, a-and what about us? You were my best friend, my _her-man-o_ , my… you were my first love Jaime Reyes! You were the only one who talked to me and actually acted like a friend towards me. Even my own family didn’t trust me when I first came to the past,”

 

“But you… You were always there. Do you remember when we first started hanging out? I’d sneak into your room and we’d just play games and I’d eat everything in sight, but you never minded, right? You just let me have my fun. Then things changed and it was even better. That first night, when we stayed together in your bed and you just held me even when I started having nightmares and I woke up crying. You just held me and told me it was going to be alright. You promised me! You promised you wouldn’t let that future happen, but that’s exactly what you’re doing,”

 

“And I guess it shouldn’t hurt as much as it does, because I come from the future. What if it was my fault that you were moded in the first place? But I didn’t think about that and I just came here without even questioning. Jaime, I am so sorry. I’m sorry for making you into this monster. Maybe it’s not entirely my fault and maybe things would have happened like this even if I hadn’t come, but I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you—”

 

Before he could continue, Bart was roughly pulled up from his position before the Blue Beetle. Their eyes locked together, torment and tear-filled green seeing glowing yellow where only traces of emotion flickered through. It wasn’t enough, though. Even with everything he’d said, it wasn’t enough to save the one person who meant something to him in his time.

 

“You couldn’t save me even if you wanted to, Bart. This is what I was destined to do—the Beetle chose me because it knew I was worthy. Even if you hadn’t come, the outcome would have remained the same.” Jaime’s armor slowly began to cover his face again, allowing the boy’s emotions to retreat once more. “Your friendship, your love; it was a nice distraction, but it could never stop this from coming to pass.”

 

A sob wracked Bart’s frame and he could no longer look the Blue Beetle in the eyes. That was it. Jaime’s affections were gone, so he didn’t even have that to work with. It broke his heart. Everything that mattered to him in this life was gone and there was nothing left for him to fight for. His friends lay dead, the boy he’d come to love was lost within the Beetle, and now the enslavement of humanity was underway. It was over. Everything was over.

 

“Let me give you this final parting gift, Bartholomew Allen.” Pulling the boy in closer, Jaime’s lips ghosted over Bart’s, “For what it’s worth, Jaime Reyes did love you, but the Beetle? It doesn’t have the capacity to love. On behalf of my former-self, I am sorry.”

 

With that, the blade was plunged deep into Bart’s chest, allowing blood to quickly flow free from his body. His vision was blurring, becoming black around the edges as the end claimed him. Retracting the blade from the boy’s body, the Blue Beetle lay the body gently down on the war torn Earth, watching as his once-ally and love fell into the darkness of death.

 

“I’m so sorry Bart.”


End file.
